Scooping arrangement for washing machines



T. B. WALKER .4 2,691,884

SCOOF'IIIG ARRANGEMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed D96. 12, 1951 Oct. 19, 1954 FIG.

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x "is Patented Oct. 19, 1954 STATS ATENT OFFICE SCUOPING ARRANGEMENT F03 WASHING MACHINES Thomas Bradley Walker, Kendal, England, as-

signor to Isaac Braithwaite dz Son Engineers 7 Limited, Kendal, Great Britain England, a corporation of 4; Claims.

This invention relates to laundry washing, dr cleaning or dyeing machines of the kind having a cylinder with a horizontal axis rotating in an outer casing with an annular space between, to which the water or other liquid is supplied, and more particularly to improvements in such machines which are provided with scoops and lifters which pick up the liquid from the annular space as the cylinder revolves and deliver it into the interior of the cylinder at a higher level.

In such machines as hitherto constructed or suggested the scoops are arranged on the outer surlace of the cylinder and the lifters project into the cylinder, longitudinal gaps being formed in the periphery thereof through which the liquid is directed by the scoops into the lifters from which it is distributed over the load in the cylinder.

According to the present invention the lifters as well as the scoops co-operating therewith are arranged to project outwardly from the surface of the cylinder and communicate with the inte-- rior thereof through perforations in the surface adjacent to the lifters.

The invention is applicable to machines in which the rotation of the cylinder is unidirectional or in which the rotation of the cylinder is periodically reversed.

The invention is illustrated in and will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a section through the rotating cylinder and outer casing of a machine in which the rotation of the cylinder is unidirectional and the direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow i, and

Fig. 2 is a section through the rotating cylinder and outer casing of a machine in which the direction of rotation of the cylinder can be reversed, i. e. the machine is first rotated in one direction and then in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow 2.

The machine is constructed in the usual way with an inner cylinder A mounted so as to rotate within an outer stationary casing B, an annular space I) being formed between the cylinder A and easing B.

In a form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 applied to a machine in which the rotation of the cylinder A is unidirectional the cylinder is formed with a number of lifters C around its ing plate 0 which is inclined to the surface of the cylinder A and whose outer end terminates in a plate member 0 which is parallel or substantially parallel to the periphery of the cylinder and extends in the same general direction as the inclined guiding plate 0'.

Each, scoop D for directing the liquid into the corresponding lifter 0 consists of a second guiding plate d ainxed to the surface of the cylinder some distance behind the line at which the inner edge of the lifter C is secured thereto. This second guiding plate is inclined to the surface of the cylinder A in the opposite direction to the inclination of the guiding plate 0 of the lifter C and whose outer end terminates in a portion :3 which is parallel or substantially parallel to the periphery of the cylinder A and extends in the same general direction as the inclined guiding plate 01'.

The scoop D extends further outwards into the annular space 131 than the lifter C and the end portion d of the scoop extends over the corresponding portion 0 of the lifter C so that a passage a is formed between them through which the liquid is directed in circumferential direction into the lifter as the cylinder A rotates.

The wall portion a of the surface of the cylinder A between the lines of attachment of the lifter C and scoop D thereto is perforated for I the pasasge of the liquid from the lifter G into the interior of the cylinder A.

in a form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 applied to a machine in which the direction of rotation of the cylinder A is periodically reversed the lifter is formed of two lifter elements C and C of substantially the same construction as the single lifter C hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1. The lifter element C is secured to the cylinder A so that its outer end portion, the plate member e projects in one direction and the lifter element C is secured to the cylinder A so that its outer end portion, the plate member 2 projects in the opposite direction and towards the end portion 6 of the plate G a space e being provided between the edges of the outer end portions of the two plate members e and e through which the liquid enters the lifters. Thus when the cylinder A is rotating in one direction, one lifter element forms the lifter and when it is rotating in the opposite direction the other lifter element forms the lifter. The portion a of the surface of the cylinder A between the lines of attachment of the two lifter elements is perfo- 3 rated for the passage of the liquid into the cylinder.

The scoop for each lifter comprises two curved scoop plates D and D secured to a radial flange (1 outside the lifters C and C The two scoop plates D and I have plate members al and d and inclined guiding plate portions (1 and d? which meet midway between the outer plate members e and e of the two lifter elements whereby one scoop plate directs the liquid into the lifter when the cylinder rotates in one direction and the other plate directs the liquid into the lifter when the cylinder rotates in the opposite direction.

In this form of the invention the scoop plates D and D cannot be secured directly to the cylinder A but are carried by the flanges a or by ribs, sealing rings or other means which rotate with the cylinder.

The arrangement of lifters and scoops hereinbefore described. can be used with machines having the usual type of rotating cylinder which is perforated over the whole of its peripheral surface but it is particularly applicable to machines in which a portion of the peripheral surface of the cylinder is imperforate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced portions are perforated.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine including a hollow rotary cylinder member and an outer casing adapted to be partly filled with a liquid, in combination, a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforated wall portions of said cylinder member, each perforated wall portion located substantially between two parallel lines extending in axial direction of said cylinder member; a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel radially spaced elongated plate members, each pair of plate members located opposite to and spaced in radial direction from one of said perforated wall portions and extending substantially parallel to the same, each pair of plate members forming a passage for flow of the liquid in circumferential direction; and two guiding plates associated with each pair of plate members and arranged on opposite ends of said passage, each guiding plate being integral with one plate member and projecting from the same inwardly towards said cylinder member in a direction opposite to the direction of the other guiding plate.

2. in a washing machine including a hollow rotary cylinder member and an outer casing adapted to be partly filled with a liquid, in combination, a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforated wall portions of said cylinder member, each perforated wall portion located substantially between two parallel lines extending in axial direction of said cylinder member; a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel radially spaced elongated plate members, each pair of plate members located opposite to and spaced in radial direction from one of said perforated wall portions and extending substantially parallel to the same, each pair of plate members forming a passage for flow of the liquid in circumferential direction; and two guiding plates associated with each pair of plate members and arranged on opposite ends of said passage, each guiding plate being integral with one plate member and projecting from the same inwardly towards said cylinder member in a direction oppo- 4 site to the direction of the other guiding plate,

the guiding plate integral with the plate member located nearer to said cylinder member having an edge extending in axial direction of said cylinder member and connected and secured to said cylinder member to form a pocket with the same.

3. In a washing machine including a hollow rotary cylinder member and an outer casing .adapted to be partly filled with a liquid, in combination, a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforated Wall portions of said cylinder member, each perforated wall portion located substantially between two parallel lines extending in axial direction of said cylinder member; a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel radially spaced elongated plate members, each pair of plate members located opposite to and spaced in radial direction from one of said perforated wall portions and extending substantially parallel to the same, each pair of plate members forming a passage for flow of the liquid in circumferential direction; and two guiding plates associated with each pair of plate members and arranged on opposite ends of said passage, each guiding plate being integral with one plate member and extending from the same inwardly to said cylinder member in a direction opposite to-the direction of the other guiding plate, said guiding plates having edges extending in axial direction of said cylinder member and connected and secured to said cylinder member to form pockets with the same,

l. In a washing machine including a hollow rotary cylinder member and an outer casing adapted to be partly filled with a liquid, in combination, a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforated wall portions of said cylinder member, each perforated wall portion located substantially between two parallel lines extending in axial direction of said cylinder member; a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel radially spaced elongated plate members, two pairs of plate members located opposite to and spaced in radial direction from one of said perforated wall portions and extending substantially parallel to the same, each pair of plate members forming a passage for flow of the liquid in circumferential direction; and two guiding plates associated with each pair of plate members and arranged on opposite ends of each passage, each guiding plate being integral with one plate memher, the guiding plates integral with the plate members located nearer to said cylinder member extending in opposite directions away from each other to said cylinder member and having edges extending in axial direction of said cylinder member and connected to said cylinder member to form pockets with the same, and the guiding plates integral with the outer plate members projecting towards each other and towards said cylinder member and having inwardly located projecting edges connected to each other and located between said inner plate members.

ReferencespCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

